Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: JK IDS, 2021
Mains level: Development of JK region
The Union Govt. has formulated the New Industrial Development Scheme for Jammu & Kashmir (J&K IDS, 2021).
Tap to read more about: Reorganization of J&K
J&K IDS, 2021
- It is a new Central Sector Scheme for the development of Industries in the UT of Jammu & Kashmir.
- The main purpose of the scheme is to generate employment which directly leads to the socio-economic development of the area.
Incentives available
- Capital Investment Incentive at the rate of 30% in Zone A and 50% in Zone B on the investment made in Plant & Machinery (in manufacturing) or construction of the building is available.
- Capital Interest subvention: At the annual rate of 6% for a maximum of 7 years on loan amount up to Rs. 500 crore for investment in plant and machinery (in manufacturing) or construction of the building.
- GST Linked Incentive: 300% of the eligible value of actual investment made in plant and machinery (in manufacturing) or construction in building for 10 years.
- Working Capital Interest Incentive: All existing units at an annual rate of 5% for a maximum of 5 years. Maximum limit of incentive is Rs 1 crore.
Key features:
- The scheme is made attractive for both smaller and larger units.
- Smaller units with an investment in plant & machinery upto Rs. 50 crore will get a capital incentive upto Rs. 7.5 crore and get capital interest subvention at the rate of 6% for a maximum of 7 years
- The scheme aims to take industrial development to the block level in UT of J&K, which is the first time in any Industrial Incentive Scheme of the GoI.
- The scheme has been simplified on the lines of ease of doing business by bringing one major incentive- GST Linked Incentive- that will ensure less compliance burden without compromising on transparency.
- It is not a reimbursement or refund of GST but gross GST is used to measure eligibility for industrial incentive to offset the disadvantages that the UT of J&K face
Major Impact and employment generation potential:
- The scheme is to bring about a radical transformation in the existing industrial ecosystem of J&K with emphasis on job creation, skill development and sustainable development.
- It is anticipated that the proposed scheme is likely to attract unprecedented investment and give direct and indirect employment to about 4.5 lakh persons.
- Additionally, because of the working capital interest subvention, the scheme is likely to give indirect support to about 35,000 persons.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Payment Banks and Small Finance Bank
Mains level: Paper 3- Challenges in financial inclusion
The article highlights the important role Payment Banks could play in furthering the financial inclusion in India.
Financial inclusion and challenges
- Interventions, especially the JAM trinity—Jan Dhan accounts, Aadhaar and Mobile phones—have accelerated digital and financial inclusion in India.
- Four of every five Indian adults have a registered bank account.
- Financial inclusion is not only about opening accounts, it encompasses access to credit, insurance and micro-investment products in a simple and safe way.
- This remains a challenge for ‘weaker sections and low-income groups’.
- For instance, only 16% of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have access to formal credit amid an estimated debt demand of ₹69.3 trillion.
High-technology, low-cost banking to accelerate financial inclusion
- In 2014, Nachiket Mor committee recommended setting up “high technology—low cost” banking models to accelerate financial inclusion to the last mile.
- Subsequently, the Reserve Bank of India licensed ‘vertically differentiated banking systems’, such as Payments Bank (PBs) and Small Finance Banks (SFBs).
- SFBs have grown profitably thanks to the yield spread between deposits and lending.
- Most of them started off as micro finance institutions with a ready asset base, and after converting into SFBs, they have got a better liability franchise but continue to operate in niche geographies.
- On the other hand, PBs have shown strong growth in revenues, while operating at a larger scale than SFBs.
- The high-tech PB model has shown more rigour than the cost-heavy branch-based SFB model in terms of its impact on inclusion.
Need for structural intervention
- If we intend to make a real move ahead on the inclusion front, PBs will have to play a larger role.
- However, to realize their full potential, they need certain structural interventions:
1) Liabilities
- PBs can take deposits only up to ₹1 lakh, which limits their ability to augment profit that can be further deployed to enhance efficiencies.
- For a few segments, such as self-help groups and MSMEs, the savings account limit blocks the adoption of highly-accessible bank accounts.
- Since the model has matured, it would be prudent to enhance the deposit limit to ₹5 lakh and benchmark it to Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation limits.
- Banking Correspondents (BCs) are a critical link in driving financial inclusion.
- PBs could offer low-value and simple fixed or recurring deposit products and sell to consumers through their BC distribution network, thus improving their viability.
2) Assets
- Currently, there is no national-level lender with the risk appetite for thin-credit consumers.
- PBs can evolve new micro-lending models through their BC networks and mobile apps and create an alternate credit score for these consumers.
- Allowing micro-lending by PBs could be a starting point. Thereafter, regulators may consider a transition path for them to become SFBs, or even Universal Banks.
3) Working together for collective impact
- PBs have an edge in technology and reach, while traditional players have a trust legacy.
- For collective impact on inclusion, two options can be evaluated with safeguards in place.
- One, PBs could co-originate loans with traditional institutions so that capital requirements are shared.
- Two, they can originate credit and allow it to mature, or securitize and turn it into a market-linked instrument.
- This could accelerate credit formalization.
Conclusion
We must remind ourselves that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to achieve complete financial inclusion for the diversified needs of our people. An enabling framework needs to be in place. Payments Banks, in particular, have the potential to bridge India’s financial inclusion gaps.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: MSP, Public Procurement System
Mains level: Paper 3- Reasons for farmers concerns with MSP
The article explains the purpose of Minimum Support Price (MSP) and reasons for insecurity in farmers regarding its continuance.
Relation between MSP and time-bound procurement through PPS
- MSP, public procurement system (PPS) and a strict time-bound purchase of output brought to the PPS(through APMCs) form a package deal.
- Take out one aspect, the deal falls apart.
- For example, if you have MSP but not compulsory PPS, the support price becomes redundant.
- If you have MSP and PPS/APMC mandi but not strict time-bound purchase of the product brought to the PPS, the deal will fail.
Purpose of MSP
- At the launch of the Green Revolution, MSP and PPS were designed to assist the country in achieving its goal of food self-sufficiency, which was met by the early Seventies.
- The purpose of MSP and PPS/APMC is now two-fold.
- One, to maintain food self-sufficiency because crop diseases and weather conditions such as droughts.
- The second purpose is to ensure a reasonable, assured income to the farmers.
- The recommendation to dismantle FCI public procurement, made by the Shanta Kumar Committee in its 2015 report, displayed a lack of recognition of the importance of these two purposes.
Issues with the Farm bills
- The government’s assurance that MSP/APMC can co-exist with the big agro-business-controlled private markets is not tenable.
- A farmer who has reached a contract will not be legally allowed to take the product to APMC if the APMC mandi offered him/her a better price.
- The agro-business entity will take the non-compliant farmer to court, where the dispute resolution mechanism is stacked against the farmer due to the structural inequities of legal resources and social-cultural capital.
- The proposed dispute resolution mechanism increases the choice of the trader to trade and not of the farmer to sell.
- The central law will prevail in the private markets, while state laws will prevail in the APMC mandis.
- Two markets with two regulatory frameworks will create conditions for perpetual Centre-state conflicts.
- MSPs are announced for 23 crops but compulsory and timely public procurement, are provided mainly for two crops, wheat and rice, the support price does not work for the remaining 21 crops.
Challenge in defining MSP
- Farmers’ organisations are insisting on the Swaminathan Committee formula of C2+50 per cent.
- The MSP announced by the government is based on the A2+Fl+50 per cent formula.
- Unlike the C2+50 per cent formula, A2+Fl+50 formula does not cover all the costs of farming.
Conclusion
Agrarian reforms that recognise the importance of ecologically and economically sustainable agriculture are an absolute necessity. Such reforms would require more than merely changing the trade emphasis of existing laws. They will involve the creation of inclusive, transparent and well-informed laws compatible with these reforms.
Back2Basics: Understanding the cost formula
- M S Swaminathan committee recommended minimum support prices (MSP) for crops at levels “at least 50 per cent more than the weighted average cost of production”.
- The National Commission on Farmers did not elaborate on what really constituted “weighted average cost of production” in its report submitted in October 2006.
- The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), on the other hand, gives three definitions of production costs: A2, A2+FL and C2.
- A2 costs basically cover all paid-out expenses, both in cash and in kind, incurred by farmers on seeds, fertilisers, chemicals, hired labour, fuel, irrigation, etc.
- A2+FL cover actual paid-out costs plus an imputed value of unpaid family labour.
- C2 costs are more comprehensive, accounting for the rentals and interest forgone on owned land and fixed capital assets respectively, on top of A2+FL.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Digital Services Tax, Equalization Levy
Mains level: Digital taxes and related issues
Digital services taxes adopted by India, Italy and Turkey discriminate against U.S. companies and are inconsistent with international tax principles, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office has said.
Do you remember?
GAFA tax—named after Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon—is a proposed digital tax to be levied on large technology and internet companies.
Fact of the matter: Equalization Levy
- India has earlier expanded the scope of the Equalization Levy, or digital tax, to the sale of goods and services in the country by overseas e-commerce firms.
- The Equalization Levy was introduced for the first time in 2016 as 6 per cent tax on revenues earned by non-residents from online advertising and related services.
- The burden of this tax eventually fell on local firms advertising on these platforms.
Contention for E-Commerce
- In March 2020, the government expanded the scope of this levy to include the sale of goods and services in the country by overseas e-commerce operators.
- The transactions were to be taxed at 2 per cent if businesses earned more than Rs 2 crore.
- Globally, the rate of digital tax varies from 1.5 per cent (in Poland and Kenya) to 15 per cent (Paraguay). In Europe, the tax rate varies from 3 per cent (France, UK, Spain) to 7.5 per cent (Hungary).
Digital Services Taxes
- The “digital services tax” (DST) is a levy on the overall revenues earned by the supplier of specific digital services.
- The DST should not be confused with the so-called “Netflix tax,” which one may find in some western countries.
- The Netflix tax is essentially a “value-added tax” on digital services where the consumer bears the entire tax burden on the value of the final product.
The US Question
- The need to tax digital companies – the likes of Amazon, Google and Netflix – arises because these companies collect digital revenues from countries where they do not have a significant business presence.
- These are new-age companies, which can use virtual infrastructure to operate in another country.
- Countries across the globe have felt the need to tax revenues generated by such companies in a particular jurisdiction.
- Talks began in 2018 under the aegis of the OECD to formalize a framework on what and how to tax revenues earned by such companies in a country in which they have no physical or significant presence.
- But an abrupt US decision to pull out of the negotiations, involving 137 countries and threats of retaliatory action against those levying digital taxes have hit the 2020 deadline.
India’s response
- USTR has concluded the digital taxes imposed by France, India, Italy and Turkey discriminate against big U.S. tech firms, such as Google, Facebook, Apple and Amazon.com
- For India, it created enormous uncertainty, since the country has always been at the forefront of adopting the concept of taxing foreign digital companies.
- It is now subject to a probe initiated by the US called the ‘Section 301’ investigations into the digital taxes.
A populist fuss by the US
- The US is a bit confused and so is the exiting President. They are not able to decide what they want to do.
- It is being argued that it could lead to tariffs before Donald leaves office or early in the administration of President-elect Biden.
- This arguably another populist measure that Trump administration wants to leave behind.
Conclusion
- Given that a global consensus at the OECD or even the UN level may take several more months, countries including India are likely to continue with their unilateral DSTs.
- At this juncture, when economies are reeling under the ill-effects of the pandemic, no country would want to give up its share of revenue and wait for a global consensus to emerge.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Ozone Hole
Mains level: Climate change impact
The Antarctic ozone hole — one of the deepest, largest gap in the ozone layer in the last 40 years — has closed, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Try this PYQ:
Q.Consider the following statements:
Chlorofluorocarbons, known as ozone-depleting substances are used:
- In the production of plastic foams
- In the production of tubeless tyres
- In cleaning certain electronic components
- As pressurizing agents in aerosol cans
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 4 only
(c) 1, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Antarctic Ozone Hole
- The Antarctic “ozone hole” was discovered by British Antarctic Survey scientists Farman, Gardiner and Shanklin in 1985.
- It came as a shock to the scientific community because the observed decline in polar ozone was far larger than anyone had anticipated.
- It was caused by the chemical reactions on polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) in the cold Antarctic stratosphere caused a massive.
- Though localized and seasonal, an increase in the amount of chlorine present in active, ozone-destroying forms.
Role of PSCs
- The polar stratospheric clouds in Antarctica are only formed when there are very low temperatures, as low as −80 °C, and early spring conditions.
- In such conditions, the ice crystals of the cloud provide a suitable surface for the conversion of unreactive chlorine compounds into reactive chlorine compounds, which can deplete ozone easily.
An annual process
- An ozone hole is the thinning of the ozone layer boosted in size by colder temperatures.
- The formation of the ozone hole in the Antarctic has been an annual occurrence and has been recorded for the last 40 years.
- Human-made chemicals migrate into the stratosphere and accumulate inside the polar vortex. It begins to shrink in size as warmer temperatures dominate.
- As the temperatures high up in the stratosphere start to rise, ozone depletion slows, the polar vortex weakens and breaks down.
- By the end of December, ozone levels return to normal.
The hole closes after achieving peak
- The annually occurring ozone hole over the Antarctic had rapidly grown from mid-August and peaked at around 24 million square kilometres — one of the largest so far — in early October 2020.
- The expansion of the hole was driven by a strong, stable and cold polar vortex and very cold temperatures in the stratosphere.
- The same meteorological factors also contributed to the record 2020 Arctic ozone hole, which has also closed.
Note: A polar vortex is a wide expanse of swirling cold air, a low-pressure area, in Polar Regions. During winters, the polar vortex at the North Pole expands, sending cold air southward.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: FAO Food Price Index
Mains level: Poverty and Hunger
World food prices rose for a seventh consecutive month in December 2020, with all the major categories, barring sugar, said the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO).
Try this PYQ:
Q.Which one of the following is not a sub-index of the World Bank’s ‘Ease of Doing Business Index’? (CSP 2019)
(a) Maintenance of law and order
(b) Paying taxes
(c) Registering property
(d) Dealing with construction permits
World Food Price Index
- The FAO Food Price Index is a measure of the monthly change in international prices of a basket of food commodities.
- It consists of the average of five commodity group price indices [cereal, vegetable, dairy, meat and sugar], weighted with the average export shares.
- The index has become a critical and timely monthly indicator of the state of international food markets, gauging the change in food commodity prices over time in nominal and real terms.
Why it matters?
- High food prices have contributed to a surge in inflation
- There are social and economic advantages from high food prices for example higher prices are an opportunity to improve farmers’ incomes and to stimulate investments in farming.
- For developing countries that are major exporters of food, the rise in world prices helped to bring about an improvement in the terms of trade and a strong balance of payments.
Concerns raised
- That said higher food prices for domestic consumers created fresh problems of poverty and hunger.
- Lower-income families spend a higher proportion of their budgets on food.
- Higher prices hit them hardest causing a fall in real living standards.
- This means that food price inflation can act as a tax on the poor and have a regressive effect on the distribution of income.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Magnetotelluric Study
Mains level: Earthquakes
In the backdrop of multiple quakes of low intensity in the Delhi-NCR region, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) is conducting a unique geophysical Magnetotelluric-MT survey to accurately assess potential seismic hazards.
Try this PYQ:
Q.Consider the following statements:
- The Earth’s magnetic field has reversed every few hundred thousand years.
- When the Earth was created more than 4000 million years ago, there was 54% oxygen and no carbon dioxide.
- When living organisms originated, they modified the early atmosphere of the Earth.
Which of the statements given above is/ are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
What is Magneto-Telluric Survey?
- MT is a geophysical method which uses natural time variation of the earth’s magnetic and electric fields to understand the geological (underground) structure and processes.
- It is an increasingly popular technique widely used to image the electrical resistivity distribution inside the Earth in various application fields ranging in scale from the shallow crust to the lithosphere.
- In the MT method, the earth’s natural electromagnetic field is used as a source field.
- The receivers record the electric and magnetic fields on the surface of the Earth.
- The variations in amplitude and phase of the received signals can be interpreted in terms of the resistivity structure of the subsurface using the magnetotelluric impedance.
Where would the MT survey be undertaken?
- The survey is conducted across three major seismic sources, namely Mahendragarh-Dehradun Fault (MDF), Sohna Fault (SF) and Mathura Fault (MF).
- It will ascertain the presence of fluids, which generally enhance the possibility of triggering earthquakes.
Benefits of the survey
- Its findings will help different user agencies for designing quake-resistant buildings, industrial units and structures such as hospitals and schools.
- In addition to MT, analysis and interpretation of satellite imageries and geological field investigations for locating the faults are also being carried out.
- Both these geophysical and geological surveys will help in taking multiple preventive measures in the quake-prone region.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) 2021
Mains level: Wetland conservation in India
The two-day Asian Waterbird Census-2020 was recently held in Andhra Pradesh.
Anyone can participate!
By using eBird and filling an additional site form, one can take part in this multi-country effort to document the state of our wetlands and waterbirds. To take part one simply visits a wetland and count the birds he/she see there.
Asian Waterbird Census
- The Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) takes place every January.
- The AWC was started in 1987, and many birders were initiated into bird counting and monitoring through this project.
- This citizen-science event is a part of the global International Waterbird Census (IWC) that supports the conservation and management of wetlands and waterbirds worldwide.
- The data collected each year is shared by Wetlands International with global conservation organisations such as IUCN and Ramsar Convention.
Why need such census?
- Waterbirds are one of the key indicators of wetlands health.
- Wetlands provide feeding, resting, roosting and foraging habitats for these charismatic species.
AWC in India
- In India, the AWC is annually coordinated by the Bombay Natural history Society (BNHS) and Wetlands International.
- BNHS is a non-government Organisation (NGO) founded in the year 1883.
- It engages itself in the conservation of nature and natural resources and also in the research and conservation of endangered species.
- Its mission is to conserve nature, primarily biological diversity through action based on research, education and public awareness.
Back2Basics: Waterbirds
- The term water bird, alternatively waterbird or aquatic bird is used to refer to birds that live on or around water.
- In some definitions, the term is especially applied to birds in freshwater habitats, though others make no distinction from birds that inhabit marine environments.
- Also, some water birds are more terrestrial or aquatic than others, and their adaptations will vary depending on their environment.
- These adaptations include webbed feet, bills, and legs adapted to feed in the water, and the ability to dive from the surface or the air to catch prey in water.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Paper 2- Issues with punitive response to sexual violence
Harsher punishment for sexual violence
- Recently, the Maharashtra cabinet approved the Shakti Bill, enlarging the scope of harsher and mandatory sentences — including the death penalty — for non-homicidal rape.
- The Shakti Bill comes amid the recent legislative trend to invoke the death penalty for sexual offences.
- In 2020, the Andhra Pradesh government passed the Disha Bill, pending presidential assent, that provides the death penalty for the rape of adult women.
Issues with the Bills
1) Focus on reporting of police complaint
- The most severe gaps in the justice delivery system are related to reporting a police complaint.
- The focus of the criminal justice system needs to shift from sentencing and punishment to the stages of reporting, investigation and victim-support mechanisms.
- The bill does not address these concerns.
2) Impact on rate of conviction
- Harsh penalties often have the consequence of reducing the rate of conviction for the offence.
- A study published in the Indian Law Review based on rape judgments in Delhi shows a lower rate of conviction after the removal of judicial discretion in 2013.
- Introducing harsher penalties does not remove systemic prejudices from the minds of judges and the police.
3) Harsher punishment would deter complainants
- Studies on child sexual abuse have shown that in the few cases of convictions, the minimum sentence was the norm and the award of the maximum punishment was an exception.
- Crime data from the National Crime Records Bureau shows that in 93.6 per cent of these cases, the perpetrators were known to the victims.
- Introducing capital punishment would deter complainants from registering complaints.
- The Shakti Bill ignores crucial empirical evidence on these cases.
4) Moving away from standard of affirmative consent
- An affirmative standard of consent is rooted in unequivocal voluntary agreement by women through words, gestures or any form of verbal or non-verbal communication.
- In a sharp departure, the bill stipulates that valid consent can be presumed from the “conduct of the parties” and the “circumstances surrounding it”.
- The vaguely worded explanation in the bill holds dangerous possibilities of expecting survivors to respond only in a certain manner, thus creating the stereotype of an “ideal” victim.
- It also overlooks the fact that perpetrators are known to the survivors in nearly 94 per cent of rapes, which often do not involve any brutal violence.
Conclusion
Punitive responses to sexual violence need serious rethinking, given the multitude of perverse consequences and their negligible role in addressing the actual needs of rape survivors.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre (RMIFC)
Mains level: Paper 3- Increasing maritime domain awareness
The article analyses India’s efforts in increasing the maritime domain awareness while increasing the cooperation with the neighbourhood and other countries.
Indian Navy improving domain awareness
- The enemy at sea is often unrecognisable — a terrorist, a pirate, a criminal or a sea robber.
- Of late, the Indian Navy has been on a drive to improve domain awareness in the Indian Ocean.
- The Indian Navy’s efforts seem focused primarily on monitoring Chinese activity in the Eastern Indian Ocean, particularly in the seas around the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
- The Navy is seeking to expand India’s surveillance footprint by setting up radar stations in the Maldives, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
- Mauritius, the Seychelles and Sri Lanka have already integrated into the wider coastal radar chain network.
Increasing international cooperation
- Seven Indian Ocean countries — Bangladesh, Myanmar, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Mauritius and the Seychelles — will soon post Liaison Officers at the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region in Gurugram.
- France already has an officer at the IFC.
- Four other Indo-Pacific navies — Australia, Japan, the U.K and the U.S. — have also agreed to position officers at the centre.
- As a result of such cooperation, IFC is fast emerging as the most prominent information hub in the Eastern Indian Ocean.
- India is increasing engagement in the Western Indian Ocean by positioning a Liaison Officer at the Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre (RMIFC) in Madagascar.
- India has also posted an officer at the European Maritime Awareness in the Strait of Hormuz (EMASOH) in Abu Dhabi to assist in the monitoring of maritime activity.
Stronger partnership with France
- Delhi’s moves in the Western and South-Western littorals have been facilitated by France.
- Two countries have signed a logistics agreement in 2019.
- France is keen for a stronger partnership in the maritime commons.
- France has been instrumental in securing ‘observer’ status for India at the Indian Ocean Commission and is pushing for greater Indian participation in security initiatives in the Western Indian Ocean.
- However, the Indian Navy’s priority remains South Asia, where the naval leadership remains focused on underwater domain awareness in the Eastern Indian Ocean.
Concerns over increasing Chines presence
- There is concern that the Chines navy may be poised to develop a generation of quieter submarines that would be hard to detect.
- As a result, India has moved to expand its underwater detection capabilities in the Eastern chokepoints.
- India might also partner Japan in installing an array of undersea sensors near the Andaman Islands to help detect Chinese submarines.
India as a security provider: Manifestation of SAGAR
- India’s initiatives in the maritime domain are motivated by more than just strategic considerations.
- Shipping agreements with 21 countries in the Indian Ocean have enabled a comprehensive picture of maritime traffic.
- Efforts are under way to help smaller island states build capacity to combat regional threats.
- India’s military satellite (GSAT-7A) may soon facilitate a real-time sharing of maritime information with partners.
- These endeavours are a manifestation of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) that advances the idea of India as a ‘security provider’ and ‘preferred partner’ in the Indo-Pacific region.
Challenges
- Indian initiatives, however, are yet to bring about an alignment of objectives and strategies of regional littoral states.
- While cooperative information sharing allows for a joint evaluation of threats, countries do not always share vital information timeously.
Conclusion
To bring real change, India must ensure seamless information flow, generating operational synergy with partners, and aim to expand collaborative endeavours in shared spaces.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NA
Mains level: Reservations policy and need for is revision
The Supreme Court last month clarified the position of law on the interplay of vertical and horizontal reservations.
This newscard is useful for GS paper 1 as well as aspirants with sociology optional. Let us know in the comment box if you want to get a deeper insight.
It perfectly highlights the heart of the debate on “merit versus reservation”, where reservation is sometimes projected as being anti-merit.
What are vertical and horizontal reservations?
- Reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes is referred to as vertical reservation.
- It applies separately for each of the groups specified under the law.
- Horizontal reservation refers to the equal opportunity provided to other categories of beneficiaries such as women, veterans, the transgender community, and individuals with disabilities, cutting through the vertical categories.
How are the two categories of quotas applied together?
- The horizontal quota is applied separately to each vertical category, and not across the board.
- For example, if women have 50% horizontal quota, then half of the selected candidates will have to necessarily be women in each vertical quota category.
- This means half of all selected SC candidates will have to be women, half of the unreserved or general category will have to be women, and so on.
- The interlocking of the two types of reservation throws up a host of questions on how certain groups are to be identified.
- For example, would an SC woman be put in the category of women or SC? Since quotas are fixed in percentages, what percentage of quota would be attributed to each?
What was the Saurav Yadav case about?
- The case was on the technicalities that form a substantial question of law.
- It was this: Two aspirants had secured 276.5949 and 233.1908 marks respectively.
- They had applied under the categories of OBC-Female and SC-Female respectively. OBC and SC are vertical reservation categories, while Female is a horizontal reservation category.
- The two candidates did not qualify in their categories.
- However, in the General-Female (unreserved-female) category, the last qualifying candidate had secured 274.8298 marks, a score that was lower than the two backwards.
- The question before the court was that if the underlying criterion for making selections is “merit”.
What did the court decide?
- The court ruled against the UP government.
- It observed if a person belonging to an intersection of the vertical-horizontal reserved category had secured scores high enough to qualify without the vertical reservation.
- It held that the person would be counted as qualifying without the vertical reservation, and cannot be excluded from the horizontal quota in the general category.
- If a person in the SC category secures a higher score than the cut-off for the general category, the person would be counted as having qualified under the general category instead of the SC quota.
What was the government’s argument?
- The government’s policy was to restrict and contain reserved category candidates to their categories, even when they had secured higher grades.
- The court said this was tantamount to ensuring that the general category was ‘reserved’ for upper castes.
What was the court’s reasoning?
- The court did the math by examining a number of hypothetical scenarios.
- It concluded that if both vertical and horizontal quotas were to be applied together — and consequently, a high-scoring candidate who would otherwise qualify without any reservation.
- On the other hand, if a high-scoring candidate is allowed to drop one category, the court found that the overall selection would reflect more high-scoring candidates.
- In other words, the “meritorious” candidates would be selected.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Trade Policy Review (TPR)
Mains level: WTO and India
India’s seventh Trade Policy Review (TPR) has begun at the World Trade Organization in Geneva.
Q.In the wake of the global economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, discuss the challenges ahead of WTO.
Trade Policy Review (TPR)
- The TPR is an important mechanism under the WTO’s monitoring function and involves a comprehensive peer-review of the Member’s national trade policies.
- India’s last TPR took place in 2015.
Why need a TPR?
- To increase the transparency and understanding of countries’ trade policies and practices, through regular monitoring
- To improve the quality of public and intergovernmental debate on the issues
- To enable a multilateral assessment of the effects of policies on the world trading system
India’s progress
- Since previous TPR, India has worked diligently to reform and transform the entire economic eco-system to meet the socio-economic aspirations of a billion-plus Indians.
- The introduction of the GST, the IBC, labour sector reforms, an enabling and investor-friendly FDI Policy, and various national programmes like Make in India, Digital India, Startup India and Skill were the path-breakers.
- The improvement in the economic and business environment, on account of the wide-ranging reforms, has enabled India to better its position in the World Bank’s Doing Business ranking from 142 in 2015 to 63 in 2019.
- This improvement is also endorsed by investors who continue to view India as a desirable investment destination even during the testing time of the pandemic.
- In 2019-20, India received highest ever FDI inflow of USD 74.39 billion.
A note of caution
- India’s trade policy remained largely unchanged since the previous review.
- India continues to rely on trade policy instruments such as the tariff, export taxes, minimum import prices, import and export restrictions, and licensing, WTO said.
- These are used to manage domestic demand and supply requirements, protect the economy from wide domestic price fluctuations, and ensure conservation and proper utilization of natural resources.
- As a result, frequent changes are made to tariff rates and other trade policy instruments, which create uncertainty for traders.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Data Protection Authority
Mains level: Paper 2- Personal Data Protection Bill 2019 and issues with it
The Personal Data Protection Bill (2019) has several provisions which could have implications for the privacy of an individual. The article examines such provisions and highlights the need for further debate on the Bill.
Evolution of privacy as a fundamental right
- The Supreme Court in MP Sharma v. Satish Chandra (1954) and Kharak Singh v. Uttar Pradesh (1962) had declared that while in certain circumstances the privacy of individuals was to be protected, there was no constitutional right to privacy in and of itself.
- However, in Puttuswamy v India (2017) the Supreme Court accepted privacy as a fundamental right.
- This was an important development.
Rising importance of data
- The rising importance of data has pushed over 80 countries to pass national laws protecting the collection and use of their citizens’ data by companies and the government.
- The DPB will have huge commercial and political consequences for India.
- In India, the Personal Data Protection Bill 2019 (DPB) is currently under consideration by a parliamentary committee.
- According to Ernst and Young, emerging technologies in India will create $1 trillion in economic value by 2025.
- Much of this value will be founded on the creation, use, and sale of data, and the DPB will have immense implications as firms scramble to meet new privacy regulations.
Conditions for access to data and issues
- The bill establishes a number of conditions for companies to follow.
- For one, it would require digital firms to obtain permission from users before collecting their data.
- It also declares that users who provide data are, in effect, the owners of their own data.
- So that the users will be able to control the data their online selves produce, and may request firms to delete it, just as European internet-users’ “right to be forgotten”.
- But the bill stipulates that critical or sensitive personal data, related to information such as religion, or to matters of national security, must be accessible to the government if needed to protect national interest.
- Critics have suggested that such open-ended access could lead to misuse.
- Even B N Srikrishna, who chaired the committee that drafted the original bill has also expressed concerns about this provision.
- Other major concern is about Data Protection Authority (DPA).
Concerns about Data Protection Authority
- The bill outlines the establishment of a Data Protection Authority (DPA).
- The DPA will be charged with managing data collected by the Aadhaar programme.
- It will be led by a chairperson and six committee members, appointed by the central government on the recommendation of a selection committee.
- But this selection committee will be composed of senior civil servants, raising questions about the board’s independence.
- The government’s power to appoint and remove members at its discretion also stokes fears about its ability to influence this independent agency.
- Unlike similar institutions, such as the Reserve Bank of India or the Securities and Exchange Board, the DPA will not have an independent expert or member of the judiciary on its governing committee.
Consider the question “Discuss the various provision of Personal Data Protection Bill 2019 for the protection of individual’s privacy. What are the concerns over the various provisions of the Bill?”
Conclusion
The DPB is a unique opportunity for India, a country with some 740 million internet users, to forge a pathbreaking agenda that will act as a standard-setter in the still-developing field of national data protection legislation.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: STIP 2020
Mains level: india's endeavours in STI
The Department of Science and Technology has published the draft National Science Technology and Innovation Policy and has invited suggestions from the public.
Q.The STIP, 2020 contains radical and progressive proposals that could be game-changers for not just the scientific research community, but also for the way ordinary Indians interact with Science. Discuss.
STIP, 2020
Aim: To identify and address the strengths and weaknesses of the Indian STI ecosystem to catalyse socio-economic development of the country and also make the Indian STI ecosystem globally competitive.
The philosophy behind
- Unlike previous STI policies which were largely top-driven in the formulation, this policy follows core principles of being decentralized, evidence-informed, bottom-up, experts-driven, and inclusive.
- It aims to be dynamic, with a robust policy governance mechanism that includes periodic review, evaluation, feedback, adaptation and, most importantly, a timely exit strategy for policy instruments.
- The STIP will be guided by the vision of positioning India among the top three scientific superpowers in the decade to come; to attract, nurture, strengthen, and retain critical human capital through a people-centric STI ecosystem
The Open Science Framework
Open Science fosters more equitable participation in science through-
- Increased access to research output;
- Greater transparency and accountability in research; inclusiveness;
- Better resource utilization through minimal restrictions on reuse of research output and infrastructure and
- Ensuring a constant exchange of knowledge between the producers and users of knowledge
Inclusion principles
- The STIP proposes that at least 30 per cent representation be ensured for women in all decision-making bodies, as well as “spousal benefits” are provided to partners of scientists belonging to the LGBTQ+ community.
- Among the proposals in the policy is the removal of bars on married couples being employed in the same department or laboratory.
- As of now, married couples are not posted in the same department, leading to cases of loss of employment or forced transfers when colleagues decide to get married.
- The policy says that for age-related cut-offs in matters relating to the selection, promotion, awards or grants, the “academic age” and not the biological age would be considered.
Funding improvements
- At 0.6% of GDP, India’s gross domestic expenditure on R&D (GERD) is quite low compared to other major economies that have a GERD-to-GDP ratio of 1.5% to 3%.
- This can be attributed to inadequate private sector investment (less than 40%) in R&D activities in India; in technologically advanced countries, the private sector contributes close to 70% of GERD.
- STIP has made some major recommendations in this regard, such as the expansion of the STI funding landscape at the central and state levels.
- It has enhanced incentivisation mechanisms for leveraging the private sector’s R&D participation through boosting financial support and fiscal incentives for industry.
Other key Proposals
- STIP will lead to the establishment of a National STI Observatory that will act as a central repository for all kinds of data related to and generated from the STI ecosystem.
- The “One nation, one subscription” policy to establish a system whereby all researchers in India can access research published in top international journals for no cost.
- All data used in and generated from public-funded research will be available to everyone (larger scientific community and public) under FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) terms.
- Collaborative Research Centres (CRCs) will be established, that bring together industries, MSMEs, startups, R&D institutions and HEIs with the government.
- Industry clusters will be encouraged and incentivized wherever necessary, to engage in collaborative R&D.
- Opportunities for foreign MNCs to invest in the country’s STI landscape will be strengthened and made more accessible.
- It proposes lateral entry of scientists up to 25 per cent of scientists in related ministries.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Kalyana Chalukya Style of Architecture
Mains level: Temple Architecture of India
Karnataka CM has laid the foundation stone for the ‘New Anubhava Mantapa’ in Basavakalyan, the place where 12th-century poet-philosopher Basaveshwara lived for most of his life.
Vaishnavism and Shaivism are the two most profound strands of Bhakti Movement in Indian history. Enlist all the Bhakti Saints and their theistic philosophy and teachings. Try to spot the minute differences between them.
Who was Basaveshwara?
- Basaveshwara or Basavanna was an Indian 12th-century statesman, philosopher, a poet and Lingayat saint in the Shiva-focussed Bhakti movement and a social reformer in Karnataka.
- He lived during the reign of the Kalyani Chalukya/Kalachuri dynasty.
- He was active during the rule of both dynasties but reached his peak of influence during the rule of King Bijjala II in Karnataka, India.
Founder of Lingayat cult
- The traditional legends and hagiographic texts state Basava to be the founder of the Lingayats.
- However, modern scholarship relying on historical evidence such as the Kalachuri inscriptions state that Basava was the poet-philosopher who revived, refined and energized an already existing tradition.
His Philosophy
- Basava’s Lingayat theology was a form of qualified nondualism, wherein the individual Atman (soul) is the body of God, and that there is no difference between Shiva and Atman (self, soul).
- Basava’s views find places in Vedanta school, in a form closer to the 11th-century Vishishtadvaita philosopher Ramanuja.
Famous works
- Basavanna spread social awareness through his poetry, popularly known as Vachanaas.
- Basavanna rejected gender or social discrimination, superstitions and rituals but introduced Ishtalinga necklace, with an image of the Shiva Liṅga to every person regardless of his or her birth.
- As the chief minister of his kingdom, he introduced new public institutions such as the Anubhava Mantapa (or, the “hall of spiritual experience”) which welcomed men and women from all socio-economic backgrounds.
The New Anubhava Mantapa
- The New Anubhava Mantapa, as envisaged now, will be a six-floor structure in the midst of the 7.5-acre plot and represent various principles of Basaveshwara
- It will showcase the 12th Century Anubhava Mantapa (often referred to as the “first Parliament of the world”) established by him in Basavakalyan where philosophers and social reformers held debates.
- The building will adopt the Kalyana Chalukya style of architecture.
- The grand structure supported by 770 pillars will have an auditorium with a seating capacity of 770 people.
- It is believed that 770 Sharanas (followers of Basaveshwara) led the Vachana reformist movement in the 12th Century.
- The basement is designed for a Dasoha Bhavana (dining hall) where around 1,500 people eat together. On its top, the structure would have a Linga placed on a large pedestal.
- The project also envisages a state-of-the-art robotic system, open-air theatre, modern water conservation system, terrace garden, library, research centre, prayer hall, yoga centre and so on.
Back2Basics: Kalyana Chalukya Style of Architecture
- It is the distinctive style of ornamented architecture that evolved during the rule of the Western Chalukya Empire in the Tungabhadra region of modern central Karnataka.
- These monuments, regional variants of pre-existing Dravida (South Indian) temples, form a climax to the wider regional temple architecture tradition called Vesara or Karnata Dravida.
- They are either Ekakuta (one mandapa of one shrine) or Dvikuta (a common hall attached to two shrines).
- The style has characters of both the Northern as well as Dravidian temple architecture.
- This combination of both of these styles is known as Vesara Style, also Central Indian Style, which is represented by the Hoysala Temples.
- Most of the temples of the Western Chalukyas are dedicated to Shiva, some of them dedicated to Vishnu and Jain Tirthankars also.
Examples: Truketshwara Temple, Gadag; Kasivisvesvara Temple, Lakkundi
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Dmitri Mendeleev, Periodic table
Mains level: NA
Mendeleev was a Russian chemist and inventor who formulated the Periodic Law and the Periodic Table of Elements.
Chemistry can, no wonder, find their place in exam if core Biology could do in 2020 CSP.
Q.Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the general difference between plant cells and animal cells?
- Plant cells have cellulose cell walls whilst animal cells do not.
- Plant cells do not have plasma membrane unlike animals cells which do
- Mature plant cell has one large vacuole whilst animal cell has many small vacuoles
Select the correct answer using the given code below-
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Dmitri Mendeleev
- Mendeleev was born in the Siberian town of Tobolsk.
- In 1861, Mendeleev published a textbook named Organic Chemistry, which won him the Demidov Prize of the Petersburg Academy of Sciences.
- While explaining the chemical and physical properties of elements, he discovered similarities in the progression of atomic weights.
- He found that the order of atomic weights could be used to arrange the elements within each group and the groups themselves.
- Thus, Mendeleev formulated the periodic law. His Osnovy khimii (The Principles of Chemistry) became a classic, running through many editions and many translations.
The Periodic Law
- Using the Periodic Law, Mendeleev developed a systematic table of all the 63 elements then known.
- He even predicted the locations of unknown elements together with their properties within the periodic table.
- When these predicted elements, notably gallium ( 1875), scandium (1879), and germanium (1886) were discovered, Mendeleev Periodic Table began to gain wide acceptance.
- Incidentally, in 1870, German chemist Julius Lothar Meyer also published a paper describing the same organisation of elements as Mendeleev’s. But the latter is given credit for the table.
- In all, Mendeleev predicted 10 new elements, of which all but two turned out to exist. Element 101 is named Mendelevium in his honour.
Also read:
Mendeleev and his periodic table of elements
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI)
Mains level: India's age-old population
The Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare has released INDIA REPORT on Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI) Wave-1.
Discuss various issues pertaining to old-age care in India.
Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI)
- LASI is a full–scale national survey of scientific investigation of the health, economic, and social determinants and consequences of population ageing in India.
- The LASI, Wave 1 covered a baseline sample of 72,250 individuals aged 45 and above till the oldest-old persons aged 75 and above from all States and UTs of India (excluding Sikkim).
- It is India’s first and the world’s largest ever survey that provides a longitudinal database for designing policies and programmes for the older population in the broad domains of social, health, and economic well-being.
- The evidence from LASI will be used to further strengthen and broaden the scope of National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly.
- It would also help in establishing a range of preventive and health care programmes for older population and most vulnerable among them.
Why need such survey?
- In 2011 census, the 60+ population accounted for 8.6% of India’s population, accounting for 103 million elderly people.
- Growing at around 3% annually, the number of elderly age population will rise to 319 million in 2050.
- 75% of the elderly people suffer from one or the other chronic disease.
- 40% of the elderly people have one or the other disability and 20% have issues related to mental health.
- This report will provide base for national and state level programmes and policies for elderly population.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Brexit
Mains level: Paper 2- India-U.K. ties
India and the U.K. has shard past, now the present offers an opportunity to strengthen the ties between the two countries.
India-U.K. ties in changing geopolitical landscape
- India has invited the British Prime Minister as chief guest for the Republic Day parade.
- India has a shared past with Britain and needs to chart a different shared future, now that Britain has left the European Union (EU).
- One joint enterprise will be as members of the UN Security Council where Britain has permanent status and India holds a non-permanent seat this year and next.
- Also, this year, the U.K. will be hosting India as an invitee to the G-7, and the UN Climate Change Conference.
Implications of Brexit on the bilateral relations
- For the U.K., Brexit necessitates that every effort be made to seek commercial advantage in Asian countries with high growth rates.
- India has been fruitlessly negotiating a trade agreement with the EU since 2007, during which Britain was considered the main deal-breaker.
- The EU wanted duty reductions on autos, wines and spirits and wanted India to open financial sectors.
- India sought free movement for service professionals.
- The same obstacles with post-Brexit Britain will arise, because the export profile of both countries is predominantly services-oriented.
- In response to free movement for professionals, Britain will refer to its new points-based system for immigrants.
- After withdrawing from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and will place greater stress on aspects related to country of origin and percentage of value addition in exports.
- Therefore, while signing agreement two countries will coverge on pharmaceuticals, financial technology, chemicals, defence production, petroleum and food products.
India-U.K. close ties
- One and a half million persons of Indian origin reside in Britain.
- Before COVID-19, there were half a million tourists from India to Britain annually and twice that figure in the reverse direction.
- Around 30,000 Indians study in Britain despite restrictive opportunities for post-graduation employment.
- Britain is among the top investors in India and India is the second-biggest investor and a major job creator in Britain.
- India has a credit balance in total trade of $16 billion, but the level is below India’s trade with Switzerland, Germany or Belgium.
Conclusion
Two countries should strive towards strengthening ties against the backdrop of changing geopolitical circumstances and the Brexit.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Trends in the various data of NFHS
Mains level: Paper 2- Analysis of NFHS-5 data
The article analyses the data of NHFS-5 and try to factors responsible for the outcomes.
Analysing health and nutrition of child through NHFS-5
- The recently released fifth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) provide insights into some dimensions of micro-development performance before COVID struck.
- The latest round only has data for 17 states and five Union territories.
- Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu are notable exclusions.
- Many of the child-related outcomes are also determined by state-level implementation, therefore neither success nor failure can be attributed to state or the centre alone.
Let’s understand the data
- The NFHS has 42 indicators related to child’s health and nutrition.
- Indicators fall into nine categories and each of these can be divided into outcomes and inputs.
- For example, neonatal, infant and under-5 mortality rates can be thought of as outcomes.
- Similarly, all the nutrition indicators —stunting, wastage, excess wastage, underweight and overweight can also be classified as outcomes.
- In contrast, the post-natal care indicators relating to visits made by health workers and the extent and nature of feeding for the child can be classified as inputs.
Outcomes of the survey
- On the front of wasting (weight for height of children) these is an improvement because even though the gains were marginal, they reversed a negative trend between 2005 and 2015.
- India continues to be successful in preventing child deaths, but the health and nutrition of the surviving, living child has deteriorated, somewhat worryingly.
- India continued to make progress in preventing child-related deaths (neonatal, infants and under-5).
- The pace of improvement in child mortality slowed down relative to the previous 10 years (Fig.1).
- Figure 2 shows the six indicators where outcomes have deteriorated. These all relate to what happens after survival:
- The health (anaemia, diarrhoea, and acute respiratory illness (ARI)) and nutrition (stunting, and overweight) of the child deteriorated between 2015 and 2019.
- The absolute deterioration in health and nutrition indicators must be seen against the fact that they reversed the historic trends of steady improvements.
What explains the outcomes
- Implementation capacity of individual states probably played an important role.
- Sector-specific factors such as changing diets are also implicated.
- A broader deterioration in outcomes hints at the likelihood of a common factor, namely the macro-economic growth environment, which determines employment, incomes and opportunities.
- At the least, it is safe to conjecture that some of these outcomes are inconsistent with the narrative of a rapidly growing economy.
Conclusion
As discussed in Chapter 5 of the Economic Survey of 2015-16, perhaps the next big welfare initiative of the government should be a mission-mode focus on the well-being of the early child (and of course the mother), from the womb to the first five years, which research shows is critical for realising its long run potential as an individual.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Water usage for agriculture in India
Mains level: Paper 3- Need for RD in agriculture
The article highlight the need for more emphasis on agricultural R&D as a solution to the woes of the farmers.
India needs low-input high-output agriculture
- Amid farmers protest against farm acts, the current debates focus mainly on MSP, reducing farmers’ debt liabilities, reducing post-harvest losses, cash transfers and marketing reforms.
- India with entrenched poverty requires low-input, high-output agriculture; low input in terms of both natural resources and monetary inputs.
- Very little attention is being given to reducing the natural resource inputs — most critical being water —and agricultural R&D.
- This cannot be achieved without science and technology.
Following are the areas in which Indian agriculture needs R&D to reduce agriculture inputs
1) Water usage for agriculture
- India receives around 4,000 billion cubic meters (bcm) of rainfall, but a large part of it falls in the east.
- Moreover, most of the rain is received within 100 hours of torrential downpour, making water storage and irrigation critical for agriculture.
- India has one of the highest water usages for agriculture in the world — of the total 761 bcm withdrawals of water, 90.5 per cent goes into agriculture.
- In comparison, China uses 385.2 bcm (64.4 per cent) out of the total withdrawals of 598.1 bcm for agriculture.
- China’s per-unit land productivity in terms of crop production is almost two to three times more.
- The total estimated groundwater depletion in India is in the range of 122-199 bcm .
- The depletion is highest in Punjab, Haryana, and western UP.
2) Increasing the yields of coarse-grain crops and oilseed crops
- Years of intense research on yield increase and yield protection by breeding varieties and hybrids resistant to pests and pathogens have made wheat, rice and maize stable high yielders.
- Environmentalists suggest replacing rice with coarse grain crops — millets, sorghum etc.
- However, the yields of these crops are not comparable to those of wheat and rice even when protective irrigation is available.
- These crops have a serious R&D deficit leading to low yield potential as well as losses to pests and pathogens.
- This leaves us with pulses and oilseeds.
- In the 2017-18 fiscal year, India imported around Rs 76,000 crore worth of edible oils.
- Three oilseed crops (mustard, soybean, and groundnut) are already grown very extensively.
- Soybean and groundnut are legume crops and fix their nitrogen.
- All three crops not only provide edible oils but are also an excellent source of protein-rich seed or seed meal for livestock and poultry.
- Unfortunately, yields of the three crops are stagnating in India at around 1.1 tons per hectare, significantly lower than the global averages.
3) Genetic improvements of crops
- Pests and pathogens can be best tackled by agrochemicals or by genetic interventions.
- A recent global level study on crop losses in the main food security hotspots for five major crops showed significant losses to pests — on average for wheat 21.5 per cent, rice 20 per cent, maize 22.5 per cent, potato 17.2 per cent, and soybean 21.4 per cent.
- India is one of the lowest users of pesticides.
- In 2014, comparative use of pesticides in kilograms per hectare in some select countries/regions is as following: Africa 0.30, India 0.36, EU countries 3.09, China 14.82, and Japan 15.93.
- A more benign method for dealing with pests is through breeding.
- The Green Revolution technologies were based on the effective use of germplasm and strong phenotypic selections.
- Recombinant DNA technologies since the 1970s have brought forth unprecedented opportunities for genetic improvement of crops.
- Since 2000, genomes of all the major crops have been sequenced.
- The big challenge is in the effective utilisation of the enormous sequence data that is available.
- India’s efforts in all three areas are half-hearted.
Way forward
- Over the last 20 years, India has been spending between 0.7 to 0.8 per cent of its GDP on R&D.
- This is way below the percentage of GDP spent by the developing countries and Asia’s rapidly growing economies.
- There are structural issues like lack of competent human resources and lack of policy clarity.
- However, the biggest impediment to agricultural R&D has been overzealous opposition to the new technologies.
Consider the question “India needs low-input, high-output agriculture. This cannot be achieved without science and technology. In light of this, examine how R&D could play a role in the advancement of agriculture in India.”
Conclusion
Maybe the present crisis in agriculture would lead to a greater appreciation of the need for strong public supported R&D in agriculture.
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